the first rider )
by Ecyor42
Summary: garshvan a young urgal, son of Nar garshvog has been dreaming of becoming a rider of dragons. but coming to realisation it will never happen and about to give up hope, something increadable befalls him. what will this mean, will he join eragon and the 3 other riders on saphera isle or will he be taken to a world many have not seen before.
1. GARSHVAN

this story is in the same world as Christopher paolinis eragon most character names and places are not my own apart from the story of the main character

on the outskirts of Arberon is a small Urgal settlement running along the side of the river, which ran from the lake into the ocean, this is where Garshvan lives.

Being the son of the great Nar Garshvog had its perks, but it also had its downfalls, one of which is, Garshvan being in the shadow of his father, who cast a long shadow as it is.

Garshvan was an adept magician, mastering his tutorage very quickly under du vranga gata also some desecrate lessons under the wing of Angela the herbalist, she had taken a shining to the young Urgal when she saw him practicing magic on a young deer. He wasn't aloud to but he had made the deer grow fins and scales, even gills, just when when he was going to test if his creation could breath under water the herbalist killed the deer and said

"that is a very cruel use for your powers my friend, come with me and maybe i can teach you some other ways you can further your skills".

so he went with her and he took off from there, he would soon become almost strong enough to match that of most of the elves. Even though he was an amazing spell weaver garshvan still dreamed of being one of the dragon riders, sadly only 3 moons ago the ceremony took place and the egg did not hatch, being the age of six and twenty he realized it would never be and such is where our story begins. . .

looking down into the running river mind blank Garshvan sat on a large rock with a fishing pole in hand, even though he was a spell weaver he still liked the task of fishing it was relaxing and whats the point of hunting if all you can do its whisper a few words in the ancient language and have a task done. while sitting there thinking of what to do with his life he came to the conclusion that he would not be a rider, but he could still use his abilities to leave his home and maybe become a big part of the world.

"raaaaaaawwwwhhh" Garshvan let out a mighty rawr of frustration "what am i supposed to do with myself now"

All of a sudden there was a horrible noise to his left, snapping up his head he realized what ever the bellow came from it must have been huge.

"was that a dragon?" Garshvan asked himself "no that was different, it seemed to have come from the ocean." getting up from his rock and throwing his pole on the bank, he jumped into the river to wash the sweat from his face.

As Garshvan landed his large foot came down on top of a large stone causing him to fall backwards into the running water.

Sitting up in the river he looked for the forsaken object that made him fall, looking down into the water is where he saw it, ovel of shape.

"No, it cant be" Garshvan said reaching for the object,

lifting the smooth stone up he breathed in with excitement, it . . . it is a dragon egg, however it seemed a little different, it had the same basic shape of a dragons egg but it had lots of circular mounds on it, almost like lots of small mountains sticking out of it, it was a shade of blue much like that of flame tongue saphera's scales

but the tops of the mounds were a dark shade of purple so dark it could easly be mistaken for black.

Garshvan picked up the egg and hid it in his leather hide shirt that was up on the bank and ran back to his village where he knew that angela could help.

he made it to angelas hut on the edge of the urgal vilage and barged right in.

"Blast you van, if i have told you once i have told you a thousand and three times, KNOCK before you enter" angela says bending down to pick up the shattered glass of a jar she dropped when garshvan barged in.

"My apologies uluthrek, but i . . . hold on i thought you knew everything that was happining" garshvan said with a crooked smile.

Angela cocked an eyebrow and walked over to the Urgal and placed a had on his cheek "now now van, if i knew EVERYTHING then nothing would be a surprise"

"eeer. . . um never mind. Angela i need your help i found a dragon egg in the river and i thought maybe if i-"

"dont be stupid boy, all the eggs are accounted for on Eragons island and the 2 that are currently in Alagasia".

Garshvog sighed and pulled the strange egg from his shirt " see i do not lie to you Angela.

The herbalist gasped in what Garshvan could only asume was horror "garshvan son of Nar Garshvog what have you done."

"uluthrk what do you mean, this dragon egg was in the river i was fishing in and i happend apon it"

"the river you say? how odd. Garshvan this is not a dragon egg although" angela laughed "it is the next closest thing"

looking rather confused at her words Garshvan said "well then if it isnt a dragon egg what is it"

the egg then cracked and started to fracture and a fast rate.

Angela yelped in surprise "Garshvan, listen to me run as fast as you can and place that back where you found it right now, ill be right behind you, do not tell anyone".

"But Angela cant i-"

"GO, do you understand me run now"

The urgal shot from the hut and ran back to the river as the herbalist said to, and made it there within ten minutes

As he got to the rock where he was fishing the egg cracked and split although the herbalist told him to put it back in the water he had to see what was inside the egg.

he sat next to the egg and when the shell fell away he was shocked at what he was looking at, it most definitely was not a dragon although it looked similar in some ways, but very odd.

The creature had a long dragon like neck thats for sure and spines like saphera did, it had blue scales along its body and neck much like the dragons he had seen but the creature was more different to them then same,

for its legs were not legs but fins, four of them where the legs should be and its tail was long and vertical almost like an eels with long soft dark purple fins coming from around the edges, the small creatures head was long and quite flat with two long rows of sharp white teeth, its eyes were also a deep shade of purple and above that was a bony crest over its eyes, and where its eyes ended were two long tendrils that seemed to start on the side of its head at the edge of its brow. he took in the creature and to his amazement realized what it was

"oh gods, you are a Nedhwal"

the small creature looked up at him and let out a loud bugal of noise and slid into the water. Shocked Garshvan slid into the water curious to what it would do.

As he slid in he noticed the Nedhwal for thats what it was started to circle him, laughing the young Urgal sat in the shallows and the small creature swam into his lap and rested on him, deep in his mind he head a whisper, a whisper that sounded like it came from the wind.

"and such as the new riders are born anew, there will be a new age of a different kind."

Garsvan had a strong urge to pet the Nedwhal, he shifted his weight and the small thing shot off him and lapped him twice then settled a foot in front of him.

Stretching out his had the Nedwhal slowly pushed its flat bony head into the palm of his hand.

there came a shout from behind him "GARSHVAN what are you doing!" Angela shouted "NO DONT"

It was too late there was a blinding flash of light and a pain in is hand hot cold and then blackness.


	2. the beginning of a new age

AGAIN I FEEL THE NEED TO SAY THE MAIN CHARACTER IS MY OWN ALONG WITH THE STORY THE WORLD AND SOME CHARACTERS ARE THAT FROM THE ERAGON BOOKS

When Garshvan woke up things felt different, almost like the world was made of water, no thats not right, something was off.

"uugh what. . . what happened"

Angela said beside him. "you, you stupid boy, have just done something no one has ever done before."

Garshvan startled at her voice. "where are we"

Sighing Angela said" van, we are at the lake north of your village, i started taking you home but she kept crying when ever you got 5 yards away from the river so i carried you all the way to the lake, and low and behold she followed all the way, and then there is THAT." gesturing at Garshvans right hand.

It was then when he noticed on the palm of his had was a large shining mark in the shape of what could only be known as a trident.

"what is this? what has happened to me" Garshvan asked.

Angela looked into her young pupils eyes " what that is i do not know it is a mark similar to the dragon riders only. . . it seems where you have not bonded with a dragon, but a Nedwhal, you are the first ever being, that of the elves, dwarfs, humans or urgals this has ever happened to. im sure you are aware of the attempts the riders have tried to communicate with these deep sea dwellers? they have never gone well and many have died in the process. But maybe now with you, maybe there is a chance, if they can be made to reason with this could change everything."

It was then Garshvan looked to the lake and saw his now bonded with Nedwhal jumping in and out of the lake happily enjoying the warm water.

"What have i gotten myself into?"


	3. A Right Pain in the Neck

"What do you mean you are a rider" Nar Garshvog shouts

"The eggs have been and gone, you can not be a rider"

Garshvan sighs "I told you father, i was fishing and it was then i noticed the egg and it turned out to be not a dragon egg but that of a Nedwhal. when i touched it somehow it bonded with me like the dragons do with the other races."

Garshvan didnt mention the whisper of wind he heard before the bond formed " _and such as the new riders are born anew, there will be a new age of a different kind"_

He thought the one to ask would be eragon the first rider of this generation of riders, "but how will i get there, im bonded with a Nedwhal, i could ride it, but how its too small. . . surely it will grow. . . but how long must i wait . . . dragons grow fast and can be ridden at about 3 or 4 months but that is so long"

"father" Garshvan said "i want to go see eragon and the other two riders. . er dragon riders".

"very well my son, but how will you get there" asks garshvog

exhaling garshvan says "i will swim. or rather the Nedwhal will. i will ride her i dont know how but i will they get large . . . larger then most dragons i can only assume it will become large fast, however that means i need to take one of the empty huts near the ocean so i can be with the Nedwhal while she grows, unlike dragons, Nedwhal can not move on land"

"i will allow this. you do what you must" garshvog says stepping forward and laying a hand on his son. "destiny has chosen you, for what i do not know. perhaps fire sword can help us find out. go take your new friend to the ocean before she cant travel between the vast water and the lake, i will have the hut prepared for you and you can start your training."

"Thank you father" said garshvan and turns and walks back to the lake.

while walking back to the lake he felt the conciseness of the young Nedwhal brush against his, the push becoming more intense the closer to the lake he got. letting in the creature he started to share all his knowledge with her. even though young he could tell this was an ancient type of creature that like the dragons, but again he felt the strange sensation he felt when he awoke from after his bonding, like the world was turning into water, and then all of a sudden felt a surge of pain on the sides of his neck, he felt a pulling sensation on his neck but kept walking, reaching up and feeling his throat it happened again, but stronger.

"ugh, it feels like my neck is cramping"

all the while, now 20 meters away from the lake he could sense the Nedwhals gaze apon him and her thought projecting excitement and curiosity.

" ** _water"_** Garshvan heard in his mind

"huh" said Garshvan aloud

just as he was 2 meters from the lake his neck felt as though it was torn open along the sides of his throat.

" ** _WATER"_**

Garshvan tripped with the pain and fell into the lake, just then the tiny Nedwhal grabbed him and pulled him down through the water, it was so strong only the size of his forearm but he couldnt make it let go she just kept pulling him down into the lake, down, down, down.

"aaahhhhhh" Garshvan screamed but it only made him lose alot of air he had in his lungs.

"what are you doing" asked garshvan using his mind to try comunicate with the creature trying to kill him. thinking only of the stories that he heard of people being killed by these things. "water" he heard again.

she let go of him and he frantically tried to swim for the surface of the lake. . . . but being about 400ft below the surface he knew he couldnt make it. he already lost alot of air from his lungs on the way down. crying out as the pain of holding his breath was to much to bare he let the rest of the air from his lungs out.

"Am i dead" Garshvan says sounding strange and muffled "what..."

Opening his eyes he realized he was still underwater. but he was okay.

"how am i alive" he says turning to look at the Nedwhal that was steering at him with a cocked head, she almost seemed to be smiling at him . . .well in an odd way.

" _ **water, good"**_ Said the voice in his head.

"that was you." he said "you can already speak?

" _ **water"**_

"i see so just the basics right now" Garshvan says with a chuckle "but how am i breathing."

Its only now he remembers the pain in his neck. reaching back to his neck he feels where the pain was, on either side of his neck are 3 large gashes. every time he breaths he feels the water rush through them and as he breaths out the water he is then left with a mouth full of air.

"GILLS!" he screams at the Nedwhal "i have gills. . . is this because i am bonded with you my friend. have you granted me the ability to breath under water? is that why the world felt so off?"

looking up at the surface of the water he then thinks. "i really hope i can still breath on land"

slowly he starts to swim up and the Nedwhal follows, swimming in circles as he goes. Garshvan stops a fingers width away from the surface and looks at the small sea dragon. "well, here i go" and pushes past the surface of the lake.

Garshvan feels an odd feeling like a suction where his gills are and clams his hand over the gills, they have folded flat against his neck. looking into the water to see for himself, they have almost completely vanished. putting his head under again he felt the flaps closing his gills release again only not so painful. he then pokes his head out of the water again and the flaps close.

"i see. since i have bonded with a creature of the sea i suppose its only expected that id somehow be able to stay submerged under the water too i did think of this however i didnt think it would be so . . . rough and fast of a transformation."

"I agree with you on that too van that sure was something to see!" came a voice to the edge of the lake

Garshvan jumped to see Angela watching "Angela dont frighten me like that, how much did you see?"

"all of it of course"

"YOU COULD HAVE SAVED ME!" bellowed Garshvan

"clearly you didnt need the saving boy" laughed Angela "so, you have gills."

"aye" says Garshvan "it would appear so, it was so painful but i can now breath under water. and above it which im glad i can still do. dont like the idea of spending the rest of my days in water, seems a lonely existence.

"that it does, at least you would have . . . " the herbalist goes quiet "have you named her yet"

"no i have not. i do not know what to call her"

"well" says the herbalist "spend the day with her, get to know her, maybe something will come to you." she smiles

"yes Uluthrek," he says turning away and diving into the lake again allowing his gills to spread open again floating down into the depth of the vast lake thinking. "what will the ocean be like since i can now breath in it.


	4. Sister in all but species

A Sister in all but species.

Sitting at the bottom of the clear blue lake, taking odd deep breaths of water, garshvan looked up, leagues were between him and the surface of the water.

The dark Nedwhal swimming as fast as she can doing excited loops in the now sky of the vast body of water. Garshvan could only just see his now bonded little friend disappear as she leaped from the water and then returned with a splash, she then bolted right at him making the distance to him in a matter of seconds.

THUMP ~ "owch" Garshvan said as the small Nedwhal rammed into his arm.

He held out his hand so she could come to him. "come here we one" he said calmly

The Nedwhal slowly did a spiral around the large urgals arm and rested her entire body along Garshvan's chest and stomach.

Reaching out with his mind he prodded the creatures mind, "So, little one, what are we going to call you? Angela shared a few names with me but they are all dragon names but im sure you could help me pick something out, hmm?" the Nedwhal looked up at him, those large violet eyes bearing into him.

"What do you think of, Ophelia?"

The small Nedwhal jerked away from him and he got the impression she did not like it.

"ok ok" he chuckled.

"aloon? Or mythradral?" again the Nedwhal looked and felt affronted.

"I do not know how to name you, alera?"

"not that"- Garshvan heard in his mind.

"How about this. There is a gem stone that I know of as the dwarves have often found, called charolite, so how about the name Charly"

As soon as the Nedwhal heard the name she did a quick barrel roll and floated down onto her spot in Garshvans chest "yes"

"Very well, Charly it is, now Charly how about we have some fun."

Charly pushed off from Garshvans chest and opened her mouth, to his surprise Garshvan noticed that Charly seemed to be pulling and compacting water in her mouth, it formed a ball and then she snapped her jaws shut and the ball raced towards him.

"what the –" was all he could say before the ball of compressed water hit him in the chest with a hard thump and then dissipated. "owch" laughed Garshvan "that kinda hurt you little minx"

In his head he heard her say "now you"

"I can not do that" he said in surprise "but maybe if i-" he trailed off and uttered the word for water while holding his hand " ADURNA "

Being the gifted mage he was garshvan was able to bend the elements with only uttering the name of what he was commanding and normaly he could without much more then that, and this is what had happened.

The water around his outstretched palm shimmered and as if a small ball was gathering with a whirl of water he held a sphere of compressed water like Charly had "ganga" he said and the ball shot off towards the Nedwhal.

She dodged it and in his head heard "no" she charged at him and sailed past at such speed he lost his balance as the current seemed to shift with her causing him to spin in a circle. "hey what are you doing, NO" cried Farshvan as she again shot past him changing the direction of the current again making Garshvan spin this time doing uncontrollable summersaults, it was now as he felt like he was going to me sick he stopped himself spinning and looked at Charly as she started to speed at him, his instinct seemed to kick in, holding out both hands one over the other the bottom hand facing up and the top hand down he noticed his palm where the trident was now burned into his skin was glowing a bright blue. The water around his hands pulsed and shot inwards in a spectacular spinning current it looked like a hole at first in the space of the void, it quickly became as large as a kulls head, Garshvan thrust his hands out that the ball went flying towards the small creature.

"LOOK OUT" he yelled and Charly shot upwards to avoid getting hit, she herself then got pushed in a slow spiral from the current of the ball of water and as she stopped to look back at the ball shooting towards the floor of the lake, the ball hit the floor with a resounding BOOM.

Looking at his hands Garshvan said "how, what – what did I just do"

Charly swam to him and said in his mind "w-water p-pulse? Yes water pulse"

Garshvan looked at her then at his hands "so I can use an ability in the water you can? I wonder how else this creature is going to change me, it seems just like the dragons have a ancestorial memory so do Nedwhal ? maybe Angela can help me figure this out tomorrow."

He again held out his hands trying to make another water pulse. "come on" he grunted and all of a sudden he felt the same sensation, his palm glowed again and water rushed into is hand compacting. This time Garshvan then sensed in his mind that he could control the size of the ball, making it the size to fit into one palm he stopped the water and looked at the ball floating above his hand. It seemed to shiver and shine with an opalescent shine, it was almost pretty, he then thrust his hand up and the ball shot towards the surface. Charly raced after the ball trying to catch it but was too slow, the ball breached the surface with a tremendous crash and water seemed to explode out of the lake as if a dragon had dove into the water itself. Garshvan then heard a scream and then realized the herbalist must still be up there sitting on her rock. This sent him into a tirade of laughter. This is amazing slowly he swam up to the surface and found Angela sitting on the ground next to her rock soaking wet.

"Angela are you ok" Garshvan laughed

"oh yes van I am great how about I come in there and show you how OK I really am" screamed Angela

"come now Angela, I am sorry, I just found out I can do something that Charly can do and it seems it can be a powerful attack."

"oh, you have named her? Charly what kind of name is Charly."

"It's a play on charolite"-

"what do you mean you can do something she can do" Angela interrupted.

Garshvan looked at here" here look. He held his hands out as he did the last two times but something different happened instead of water pooling into his hand and compacting he saw wat looked like particles of water not just from the lake but from the air around him swirling fast into the space between his hands. "well that's different" he made the ball the side of his head and then threw his hands towards a nearby tree. The ball hit the tree with a crack of wood and then a bang. The ball had carved is way through the tree and hit the ground behind it.

"OH MY!" cried Angela "that looked like a water pulse but out of water? How did you do that and without the ancient language"

"yes" Said garshvan "that's what she called it a waterpulse"

"So Charly is already talking? "

"a little but how does she know what that was? She made one and hit me with it it wasn't as strong as what I did but she showed me and then I suppose taught me how to do it myself"

"Interesting" said the herbalist "very interesting, it seems like dragons she may have knowledge of her race, and perhaps can sense things you are capable of, she may have more to teach you in time when she gains more speech. Yes Garshvan that was a water pulse one of many attacks Nedwhal are capable of. Perhaps you are able to use it and so strongly at that because they cannot produce powerful pulses until a bit older a little like dragons and breathing fire. And you didn't need to use the ancient language for this?"

"No, I did at first but she attacked me till it just happened. And it doesn't affect me like a spell would. It isn't tiring me out it doesn't even really feel like magic, almost like another sense ."

"How odd, this could be a powerful ability if mastered but lets not use it to frighten the dung out of me again? Yes?"

Chuckling Garshvan looked at the herbalist "but how could I not resist after that" laughing harder he dove into the lake and down into its depths once again.

"well little one" Garshvan said to Charly. "It seems you are changing me in more ways than one, it's time for me to rest for the evening but tomorrow we will have the whole day to ourselves" he made a small water pulse and through it at Charly she swam towards it quickly and snapped her jaw down on it destroying the ball, then did a loop in the water.

"yes, tomorrow " – Garshvan heard in his mind

He left the lake, very aware of charly watching him leave with Angela

"her speech is growing quickly, I feel she will be capable of normal speech with it a week or two."

Angela looked at him "incredible, they definitely learn how to talk faster than dragons soon you will be on your journey and I think I will accompany you… oh and do not worry about me breathing I have a few tricks left up my sleeve, besides id very much like to see Eragon and Saphera once again. But for now sleep and I will be here in the morning to observe again."

"Very well Uluthrek, good night." Looking back at the lake once more "and good night to you . . . Charly"


End file.
